Green Bay Reporter

A bill authored by State Rep. Shae A. Sortwell in the Wisconsin Assembly aims to promote nuclear power and fusion energy technology through a dedicated summit board, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "creating a board to organize, promote, and host a Wisconsin nuclear power summit. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes the State of Wisconsin Nuclear Power Summit Board, tasked with organizing, promoting, and hosting a nuclear power summit in Madison. The summit aims to advance nuclear power and fusion energy technology while showcasing Wisconsin's leadership in the industry. It is to be held within one month of the opening of the new engineering building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The board will consist of both voting and nonvoting members from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Fusion Industry Association, and UW-Madison. The board will be exempt from state requirements such as public notice for contracts and competitive bidding processes. Funding is provided through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and any remaining assets after the board's dissolution will benefit UW-Madison's nuclear engineering program. The bill takes effect the day after publication or following the 2025 biennial budget act and will be repealed on July 1, 2030.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Representative Chanz J. Green (Republican-74th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), Senator Romaine Robert Quinn (Republican-25th District), and Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), along with nine other co-sponsors.

Shae A. Sortwell has co-authored or authored another 26 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Sortwell graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2006 with a BA.

Sortwell, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2019 to represent the state's 2nd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative André Jacque.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB132	03/13/2025	Creating a board to organize, promote, and host a Wisconsin nuclear power summit. (FE)
AB127	03/11/2025	The duty of a pharmacist to dispense lawfully prescribed drugs and devices. (FE)
AB108	03/11/2025	A nuclear power siting study and time limits for taking final action on certain certificate of public convenience and necessity applications. (FE)
AB88	02/28/2025	Civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty
AB87	02/28/2025	Restitution orders following a conviction for human trafficking and restoration of the right to vote to a person barred from voting as a result of a felony conviction. (FE)
AB86	02/28/2025	Imposing the penalty of life imprisonment for the crime of child trafficking and providing a penalty. (FE)
AB42	02/17/2025	Local regulation of fowl
AB41	02/17/2025	Local regulation of vegetable gardens
AB26	02/17/2025	Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty
AB17	02/06/2025	Creating an employee ownership conversion costs tax credit, a deduction for capital gains from the transfer of a business to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program. (FE)